I've eaten at Dynasty probably three times in the last seven years, and I always remember liking what I got. Well, okay, I always get the same thing: Walnut Shrimp (lightly fried shrimp with walnuts in a mayonnaise sauce). I'm really picky about Chinese food, so when I find a dish I like, I rarely stray from it.
I decided to walk to Dynasty one recent evening for dinner, which the walking was necessary, as I'm sure that mayonnaise sauce is oh-so good for me. The first thing I noticed upon arrival was a sign on the front door advertising Vietnamese coffee for $2.75. Even though I'd just walked a mile to get there, I was still half asleep, so I think I technically sleepwalked over there. I needed summa dat Vietnamese coffee STAT!
The second thing I noticed, upon walking in, was that Dynasty's aquarium was almost as empty as the restaurant (the absence of people was quickly the third thing I noticed). The aquarium used to be filled with interesting fresh-water life, but now there was only a handful of goldfish. I felt the lack of aquarium life and the lack of people was foreboding.
I was seated, and I ordered my usual Walnut Shrimp, with Egg Drop Soup and some Vietnamese Iced Coffee. Water came out first, which I was totally thankful for. The walk over there made me thirsty. I set a new personal record; I chugged two huge glasses of iced water in less than five minutes. It wasn't even that hot outside, so God only knows.
When my Vietnamese coffee came, I remembered that it had been about three years (at Odaku Sushi) since I'd had Vietnamese coffee, and I didn't remember what I was supposed to do with the little metal coffee-maker contraption atop the coffee cup. One phone-Google search later, I found I was supposed to wait until all the coffee dripped into my cup, and then I was supposed to stir the condensed milk (in the very bottom of the cup) with the coffee, and then I was supposed to pour it over ice and apparently drink it very slowly. I understood the slowly part, as I remembered Vietnamese coffee being strong, but do you really think I drank it slowly? If you think not, you're a genius. Or else you know me really well.
My food came out quickly. The Walnut Shrimp was just as good and filling as I remembered it being. As I ate, I kept expecting at least one other person to come in for dinner. After all, it was 5:45 when I got there. Alas, two other people showed up, but they only came to pick up phone-ordered food. You'd think with such a lack of customers I'd get a lot of attention, but I really didn't. On one hand that was fine, as I don't like to be harassed, especially when I'm eating, but I did need more water at one point and I never got it.
I started to grow concerned about getting out of there and getting home quickly, as I'd made plans to get together with Quani C. around 7pm. She's going to give me her leftover partially cat-eaten stargazer lilies. I currently have some stargazer lilies in my dining room, and Quani offered me hers to add to my collection (they're my favorite flowers). Hopefully my cats will stay away from them. They have so far, but I digress. The manager gave me my check; I paid and got a fortune cookie, and got outta there.
My fortune cookie was disappointing: "Time to order more fortunes. Call Oriental Trading Company at 1-800-875-8480 today."
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